Ford apologizes for ad with gagged, bound women

Mar. 25, 2013
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Ford India has apologized for what it said was an unauthorized ad created by the JW India advertising company, a subsidary of The WPP Group. The ad shows three bound and gagged women in the trunk of a Ford Figo being driven by the caricature of grinning Italian politician Silvio Berlusconi. / JWT India

by Doug Stanglin, USA TODAY

by Doug Stanglin, USA TODAY

Ford India and a British ad agency have both apologized for what they said was an unauthorized ad showing three scantily clad, gagged and bound women in the back of Ford Figo compact car driven by a grinning caricature of Italy's Silvio Berlusconi.

The tagline for the ad: "Leave your worries behind with Figo's extra-large boot."

Another ad, on the same theme, shows a character resembling Paris Hilton hauling what looks like the Kardashian sisters in the trunk. A third ad featured a caricature of Formula One driver Michael Schumacher abducting his male racing competitors.

The ads, aimed for the Indian market, were produced by JWT India, which is a subsidiary of the British advertising and public relations giant The WPP Group.

The JWT India team posted the Berlusconi ad online to the website, Ads of the World, apparently without official approval, the Indian newspaper The Hindu reported.

Ford India apologized for the ad, saying in a statement to The Hindu that it was "contrary to the standards of professionalism and decency within Ford and our agency partners." Ford emphasized that the ad had not run anywhere.

"We deeply regret this incident and agree with our agency partners that it should have never happened," the Ford India statement said. "The posters are contrary to the standards of professionalism and decency within Ford and our agency partners. Together with our partners, we are reviewing approval and oversight processes to help ensure nothing like this ever happens again."

We deeply regret the publishing of posters that were distasteful and contrary to the standards of professionalism and decency within WPP Group These were never intended for paid publication and should never have been created, let alone uploaded to the internet.This was the result of individuals acting without proper oversight and appropriate actions have been taken within the agency where they work to deal with the situation.

The issue has also drawn sharp criticism in Italy, where the 76-year-old former prime minister Berlusconi is appealing a conviction for tax fraud and is on trial over accusations of paying for sex with a minor.

The Italian newspaper La Repubblica reports that Ford Italy is "disassociating itself from the company's Indian operations."

The newspaper identifies two of the women in the trunk of the ad as Nicole Minetti, an Italian showgirl-turned-politician who has turned against Berlusconi, and former erotic pole dancer, Karima El Mahroug, also known as "Ruby, the Heart Stealer," who is at the center of the Berlusconi sex scandal.

The issue comes at a particularly awkward time for India, which is still reeling over a number of cases of sexual attacks against women, including one of a 23-year-old female and her male friend by six men on a bus last year. The woman died two weeks later of her injuries.

Six men were arrested and charged in the incident, although one of the suspects apparently committed suicide while in custody.